Saliva ejector



March 15, 1927.

J. R. M KINNON sALIvA EJECTOR Filed April 22. 1925' Inveni/or Jo7 nR -l iaclfz innon,

Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

"UNITED s'rATss- PATENT sic JOHN MAOKINNON, or BOSTONQMASSACHUSETTS.

snnrvn nancron.

Application filed April 22, 1925. Serial No. 25,052.

I My invention relates to saliva ejectors and will be best understood from the following description when read in light of the accompanying drawings showing one specific embodiment of my invention, while the scope of my invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In'the drawings I I Fig. 1 an elevation of the assembled ejector; Y

Fig. 2 is 'an'elevation on an enlarged scale of the end of the ejector, parts being shown in section; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a side and front elevation on an enlarged scale of the v veniently attached to a suitable hose 5 leading to an aspirator or other means of creating suction..

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 I have shown the end of the tube formed with lateral substantially V-shaped notches 7, a portion of the tube being continued bei enters the tube through the openings 7 by yond the end of the body of the tube and bent across the end of the tube as is indicated at 9. i

For providing a guard to prevent the tissue of the mouth from clogging the end of the tube, and for purposes which will hereinafter be explained, I provide a guard in the form of a cap 11 having cylindrical Walls surrounding the tube and spaced therefrom'to form a chamber 13 and having an imperforate end wall 15 which is secured to the portion 9 of the tube, preferably by soldering as is indicated at 17.

That end of the guard or cap 11 opposite the end 15 is beveled as is indicated at 19 so asto make the cylindrical walls of the cap at one side of the tube 21 of greater length than those at the opposite side 23 of the tube. a

In practice the ejector isplaced in the mouth ofthe patient and the saliva rises until it passes over the side 23 of the tube, when it is drawn into the chamber 13 and reason of the suction. At the same time the-air entering the chamber 18 is drawn i into the tube and effectively acts to removethe saliva;

I have found that where the cylindrical walls of the cap are of uniform height the tendency of the ejector is to choke, and-that by constructing. the cap with the beveled portion 19 so as to form in substance when the device is in operation a. saliva'entry port 25 and an air entry port 27, the former .be-

ing closer to the end of the "tube than the 1 latter, amuchmore effective removal of the saliva and more satisfactory operation of the i device is secured.

The use of saliva ejectors as-heretofore constructed has been accomplished only with severe discomfort to the patient in cases where the tissue of the mouth or tongue would clog the suction orifices of'the ejector; With an ejector constructed according to the example of my invention disclosed in the application drawing the edge 23 of the cap when the ejector is inserted commonly will be buried .in" the soft tissue. on the 'floor of the mouth, while the tongue will rest, if at all, against'thehigh-si'de of the cap. "The.

beveled edge 19 of the cap-provides that air will always enter the cap even if "the tissue should clog the cap at the low point 23 and the tongue should clog the cap at the high point 21. Foreign matter, for example particles of filling, absorbent cotton, etc., may enter the cap with the saliva and tend to clog the opening or openings 7, but as the upper portions of the slots 7 are abovethe low above the saliva the upper portions of the point 23 of the cap and consequently slots 7 cannot be clogged, and thereforeal ways permit entrance of air to the tube; In other words, the submitted embodiment of my invention by providing substantially two suction openings,herein by having one side of, the cap'higher than the other and having the tops of the slots 7 above the'low point 23 of the cap, prevents full application of the suction to the tissue if the latter should enter the cap and therefore is less painful tothe patient in cases where the tissue does enter the cap at the low point 23. 1

Although I have described for purposes of illustration one specific embodiment of my invention it is to beunde'rstood that Ivam not limited thereby to. the particular mechanical details, but that Within the scope of my in- I my invention.

1. An ejector for saliva or the like comprising a tube the end portion of which is formed to provide a lateral opening andan integral cap securing member forwardly of said opening, a cap secured to said cap securing member, said cap having an imperforate end wall forwardly of said lateral opening and a cylindrical wall spaced from and surrounding the end of said tube, the end of the cylindrical wall .of said cap opposite said end wall being substantially beveled to provide for said cap when the ejector is in operation an air entry port and a saliva entry port, said saliva entry port being between said air entry port and the end wall of said cap.

2. An ejector for saliva or the like comprising a tube'the end portion of which is formed to provide a lateral opening, a cap over the end of said tube, said cap having an imper'forate end wall forwardly of said lateral opening and cylindrical walls spaced from and surrounding said tube, said cylindrical walls of said cap extending for a greater distance from the end wall of said cap at one side of said tube than at the opposite side of said tube, and said lateral opening extending from the end of the cap a greater distance than the cylindrical walls of the cap at the last mentioned side of the tube.

3. An ejector for saliva or the like comprising a tube the end portion of which is formed to provide a lateral opening, a capover the endof said tube, said cap having a closed end forwardly of said lateral opening andhaving a lateral wall spaced from the wall of said tube, and the lateral wall of said cap extending from the closed end of said cap for a greater distance at one portion thereof than at another portion thereof and said lateral opening extending from the end of the cap a greater distance than the cylindrical'walls of the cap'at the last mentioned side of the tube.

4. An ejector for saliva or the like comprising a tube, a cap over the end of said tube, said cap having a closed end and having lateral walls surrounding said tube and providing a chamber between said tubeand said lateral walls, the interiorv of said cap 1 being in fluid communication with said tube rearwardly of the closed end of. said cap,

means forming when said ejector is in operation a saliva port and an air port to said chamber, said saliva port being spaced lengthwise of said tube from said air port and situated nearer the closed end of saidcap than said air port, andmeans providing communication between the interiors of said cap and tube intermediate said saliva and air ports in the direction of the lengthof-said tube and intermediate said saliva port and the closed end of said cap.

5. A saliva ejector comprising a tubehaving lateral end opening, a cap over the end of said tube, said cap having a closed end and lateral walls, said lateral walls having the beveled portion 19 for providing when said ejector is int-operation theports 25 and 27, spaced lengthwise ofsaid tube, said lateral end opening extending lengthwise of the tube from one side of said port 25 to the.

other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN R. 'MAOKINNON. 

